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The Jerk (1979)

R  104 min  -  Comedy | Music   -  14 December 1979 (USA)
7.0
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Ratings: 7.0/10 from 22,631 users  
Reviews: 94 user | 47 critic

A complete imbecile struggles to make it through life on his own, until a strange invention makes him unbelievably wealthy.

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writers:

Steve Martin (screenplay), Carl Gottlieb (screenplay), and 3 more credits »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Martin ...
Navin / Cat Juggler (as Pig Eye Jackson also)
Bernadette Peters ...
Marie
Catlin Adams Catlin Adams ...
Mabel King Mabel King ...
Mother
Richard Ward Richard Ward ...
Father
Dick Anthony Williams Dick Anthony Williams ...
Taj
Bill Macy ...
M. Emmet Walsh ...
Dick O'Neill ...
Frosty
Maurice Evans ...
Hobart
Helena Carroll Helena Carroll ...
Hester
Renn Woods ...
Elvira (as Ren Wood)
Pepe Serna ...
Punk #1
Sonny Terry Sonny Terry ...
Blues Singer
Brownie McGhee Brownie McGhee ...
Blues Singer (as Brownie McGee)
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Storyline

Navin is an idiot. He grew up in Mississippi as adopted son of a black family but on his 18th birthday he feels he wants to discover the rest of the world and sets out to St. Louis. There everyone exploits his naivety, but then a simple invention brings him a fortune. Written by Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Racist Comment | Mud Mask | Dancing | Motel | Glasses  | See more »

Taglines:

A rags to riches to rags story See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Music

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Supernollan See more »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$5,935,025 (USA) (16 December 1979) (525 Screens)

Gross:

$73,691,419 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aspen Film Society See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally titled "Easy Money". See more »

Goofs

Continuity: When Navin first receives the glasses from Stan Fox, the part of the glasses that hook around the ears have almost no hook to them. After Navin installs the nose bridge handle (the opti-grab), the glasses have normal ear hooks. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Navin R. Johnson: Huh? I am *not* a bum. I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things: my friends, and... uh... my thermos. Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi...
See more »

Crazy Credits

Pig Eye Jackson - Cat Juggler (Steve Martin) See more »

Connections

Featured in Whip It (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

"Pick A Bale Of Cotton"
Sung by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee
Words and Music by Leadbelly (as Huddie Ledbetter)
Collected and adapted by John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax See more »